Projectile for use with depth-charge projectors



A. J. STONE PROJECTILE' FOR USE WITH DEPTH CHARGE PROJECTORS Filed Apiil 5, 1919 Patemea ay 26, was.

ANDREW'J'AOKSON STO'NE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO AMERICM ORDNAJNCE DELAWARE.

OORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF PRDJ'EGTILE FOR USE WITH DEPTH-CHARGE P BOJECTORS.

application filed April 3, 1919. Serial No. 287,168.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW JACKSON STONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Projectiles for Use with Depth-Charge Projectors; and I do hereby declare,the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to' which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to improvements in projectiles for use with depth charge projectors, and it is intended to provide an arrangement comprising a can containing a depth charge and a holder therefor, which together are launched from any of the various types of depth charge guns or projectors which are used or have been used in throwing large charges of high explosive through short distances from a gun platform.

My present invention is especially adapted for use with the well-known Y-gun of my United States Letters Patent No. 1,311,- 780, issued July 29, 19-19, the application for which (Serial No. 192,130, filed September 19, 1917) was copending herewith. My

' present invention is in part illustrated and described in said letters patent and the present application is correspondingly im art divisional from the said copending application.

While the invention is especially adapted for use in connection with the type of Y-guns hereinbefore referred to, from which two depth charges are simultaneously expelled in opposite directions, the invention -is also applicable for use with a single barrel depth charge projector, such as has been largely used in the various naval services during the great war recently closed.

My invention will be more fully understood after-reference tothe accompanyin drawings, in which like parts are indicate by similar reference symbols throughout the several views.

Figure 1 shows an end view of one of the well known Y-guns described in my application aforesaid, both barrels being provided with the projectiles, and one of the bar'- rels and the arbor or piston of the projectilebeing shown in section. 1

- Figure 2' is a perspective view of the projectile shown in Figure 1, part of the stem or arbor being cut away.

Figure 3 shows a section along the line 33 of Figure 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 4 shows a section. along the line 4..4.- of Figure 3, and looking in the direction of the arrows, the can containing the 1 high explosive being indicatedindotted' lines.

A represents the Y-gun'carried by'any I suitable pedestal A*mounted on the gun platform or support B. The gun is provided with two smooth bore barrels A, set at any suitable an le, preferably 45 from the horizontal. represents the breech mechanism of the piece, but the details and construction of the n and breech mechanism are fully described in my application aforesaid, and my present invention relates entirely to the projectile launched from that gun or any other suitable gun, for hurling high explosive charges a short distance.

The projectile consists of a hollow stem or arbor D, which is in the form of a hollow cylinder closed at its lower end as at. d, and having secured to its upper end the curved plate Dinto which the cylindrical can E containing the high explosive charge fits snugly; this arbor and plate thus resemble a bed for carrying bricks.

The can or container and its contents comprise the ordinary well known depth bomb, as largely used in the late war with Ger-- many, the can being. filled with a main charge of high explosive, and a detonator adapted to explode the main char e when depth.

F, but is slotted as at and clamped in place by bolts G and nuts g.

In order to assemble the arts of the projectile, the nuts 9 are eased up, permitting the hook F to'be moved outward. to the desired distance, then the chine at one end of the canis caused to-engage the hook F, and the hook F is then moved to a position to engage the chine at the other end of the can, then the lock nuts are set up and the projectile is ready for being hurled as a complete unit.

Attached to the-can E, I provide a suitable arrangement for exploding the charge in said can when it reaches a predetermined depth, but such mechanism is well known in the art and is not a part of my present invention, this invention relating merely to the improvements for hurling the can to the desired distance'from the gun platform, which' would Ordinarily be the deck of a torpedo boat destroyer or submarine chaser, or other vessel. J

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The gun being loaded, the arbor G of the projectile being inserted in the gun barrels, after. the manner of pistons as shown in Figure 1, and the propelling charge being inserted in the powder chamber of the gun,

at the lower end of each of the barrels, as described in my application aforesaid, the

- piece is fired. The powder gases enerated in the powder chamber will cause t e arbors D to move like pistons outwards, imparting I an accelerating speed to each complete projectile carrying its heavy char e of high explosive, and the two projecti es will be hurled through a suitable distance to either side of the gun platform. This distance will depend upon the amount and quality of the powder used, the size of the powder chamber, and other factors, described in my application aforesaid, but these are not a part of the invention claimed herein.

After leaving the gun, the heavy cans containing the high explosive will continue to move sideways through the air, like arrow heads, following, ofcourse, a curved trajectory, while the hollow arbors D will serve, like the stems of arrows, to prevent the projectiles from tumblingin fli ht.

By having the cylindrica surface of the container E exposed to the maximum pressure of the air, when the projectile is first launched, the advantage of the well known strength of the cylinder to compression is secured, so that a light container may be used.

The arbor D, acting as a piston, will serve to guide the projectile in the proper directhe same to any sudden or severe shock, an

also without subjecting the gun platform to 7 any excessive downward thrust.

Owing to the low pressures used, the metal parts of the projectile may be made comparative] thin and light, so that a corresponding ylarge bursting charge for a given wei ht of projectile may be employed.

l 'hile prefer to have the high explosive contained in cylindrical cans, known -in naval phraseologly as ash cans, the

high explosive charge may be enclosed in 30 any suitable shaped conveyers, and the supporting head to the arbor may be shaped to fit the container.

I have shown a simple form of attaching the can to the arbor head, but any suitable means for attachin the cans to said head might be adopted i desired.

It will be obvious that various modifications might be made in the hereindescribed construction, combination and arrangement of parts which could be used without departing from-the spirit of my invention, and I do not mean to limit the invention to such details of construction except as particularly pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent -of the United States is:

1. A projectile for depth char e projectors comprising an arbor adaptecf to project into the barrel of the piece and to form a piston in said barrel, a saddle carried by said arbor, a container containin a main charge of hi h explosive and a etonator, and a pair 0 hooks secured to said saddle adjustable relative to each other for attaching said container to said saddle.

2. A projectile for depth char projectors comprising an arbor adapts to project into the barrel of the piece and to form a piston in said barrel, 'a saddle carried by said arbor,-a container containin a main charge of high explosive and a etonator, and having a rim at each end thereof, and a pair of hooks on said saddle and taking over said rim. 

